We will try anything to get a boost in the gym. Caffeine and pre-workout supplements might do the trick for some, but they come with a host of potential side effects in tow. Other people opt for performance enhancing drugs, legal or otherwise. This probably isn’t the best bet either. Breaking the law seldom is.
Tag: depressive symptoms
Is Your Online Profile Too Revealing?
By Judith Bitterli
Editor’s Note: Internet dating is serious business. According to the Statistics Brain Research Institute, the internet dating scene generated $1.049 billion in revenue for the year 2012. And online dating sites aren’t the only place where potential mates are checking each other out. AVG Technologies, an online security firm, found in a survey that one in three young baby boomers (45-54) were also using social media such as Facebook and Twitter to research a person they might be interested in.
A Better Measure of Obesity-Related Death Risk
A new technique for measuring obesity may soon replace the classic BMI measurement, according to new research.
The technique, known as ABSI (A Body Shape Index), was developed by Dr. Nir Krakauer, an assistant professor of civil engineering from City College of New York, and his father, Dr. Jesse Krakauer, MD
The team tested the technique and published a follow-up study in the online journal PLoS ONE, that supports their contention that the technique, known as A Body Shape Index (ABSI), is a more effective predictor of mortality than Body Mass Index (BMI).
Ordinary Conditioner Removes Lice Eggs
Back when your kids were in school, you may well have had to do battle with head lice and chances are that you bought special products such as prescription-only Kwell or over-the-counter RID. Now, though, if the grandchildren end up with eggs from head lice, also called nits, you may find that ordinary conditioner works just as well. That’s the conclusion of new research published in February 2015 in the Journal of Medical Entomology.
Diabetes & Stroke Linked for Women
New research done at at the Pennington Biomedical Research Center in Baton Rouge, Louisiana and published in the journal Diabetologia shows that diabetes in women is associated with an increased risk of stroke. Yet the data do not show the same association among men. Also, the researchers found the risk of stroke among diabetic women was substantially raised for women aged 55 years and over compared with younger women.
Caring for Patients with Multiple Chronic Conditions
The millions of Americans living with more than one chronic disease are at high risk of poor health outcomes, and account for a disproportionate share of health care costs. A special March supplement to Medical Carepresents updates from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality's (AHRQ) Multiple Chronic Conditions (MCC) Research Network, formed to address knowledge gaps and research challenges in meeting the complex health care needs of this growing population.
Rural Docs Doing a Good Job
Although studies have found that the quality of care delivered to rural patients is as good or better than that available in urban areas, the belief persists that top-quality primary care is only available in big cities. However, a new study done at Massachusetts General Hospital and published in the National Rural Health Association's Journal of Rural Health finds few meaningful differences between rural and urban primary care physicians on key measures of professionalism, including their attitudes about participation in quality care improvement.
Study: Blood Pressure Should Be Taken in Both Arms
To get the best possible blood pressure reading, health care practitioners should start taking readings using both arms, because a difference between the two readings indicates a significantly higher risk of heart disease, new research shows.
Most blood pressure measurements are taken using only one arm. Although the link between heart disease and differences in “interarm” readings had been suspected, this is the first study that provides statistics supporting that theory.
Fighting Mild Forgetfulness
Editor’s note: Dementia, including Alzheimer’s, is one of the most frightening health problems, especially as we age. It cannot be prevented or cured, and it is marked by a humiliating mental decline. Because it affects primarily older people, many of us are frightened by signs of forgetfulness or memory loss. Here, the experts from the National Institute on Aging explain the issue of mild forgetfulness and how you can handle it:
What is mild forgetfulness?
Watch: Urine: What’s Normal?
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Here's another addition to our Third Age video collection. Press play to start learning!
Blood-Pressure Meds and Serious Falls
Blood-pressure medications have an unintended and potentially deadly side effect: they increase the risk of serious fall injuries by up to 40 percent.
Yale School of Medicine researchers looked at 4,961 patients older than 70 who had hypertension. Among the participants, 14 percent didn’t take any medication, 55 percent took moderate doses and 31 percent took high doses.
Hispanics Live Longer Than Whites
One in every six people in the U.S. is Hispanic/Latino and as a group they live longer than non-Hispanic whites — 81.4 years vs. 78.8 years. Yet despite their strong representation and relative longevity, little is understood about this group's health conditions and behaviors, according to a release from Albert Einstein College of Medicine of the Yeshiva University in the Bronx, NY.
BP Drug Enhances Chemotherapy
Chemotherapy treatment for cancer work by inducing lesions in the DNA of tumor cells in order to inhibit their proliferation. However, according to a release by INSERM (Institut National de de la Santé et la Recherche Médicale), the body naturally tries to repair these lesions,and thus reduces the efficacy of chemotherapy. Blocking the mechanisms for DNA repair would help to improve chemotherapy by reducing the resistance of cells to treatment.
Vitamin E, Selenium Linked to Increased Prostate Cancer Risk
Selenium or Vitamin E can sharply increase the risk of prostate cancer, according to a new study from the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center.
Taking Vitamin E can raise the chances of getting prostate cancer by as much as 63 percent in some men. Taking selenium can double the risk of getting a high-grade form of the same illness.
The findings, published in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute, are the latest to show that supplements don’t always have a positive effect.
The ASPCA Offers 9 Cold Weather Tips for Pets
Here, adapted with permission from an article by the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, are guidelines for protect your pets when it’s cold outside:
6 Ways to Give Yourself a “Breakover”
By Jay Ryan, Co-Founder of Breakupgems.com
There’s a reason Neil Sedaka’s “Breaking Up is Hard to Do” became a pop classic. That’s because t’s true! But breakups can also be a time to reflect and embark on a new chapter in your life. Many people have been through a romantic heartbreak, which can be among life’s biggest challenges. Yet being single after a committed relationship can also be a good time to rejuvenate yourself.
Health-Care Coverage: A Tragic Exception
By Michelle Andrews, Kaiser Health News
Dealing with the aftermath of a suicide or attempted suicide is stressful enough. But some health plans make a harrowing experience worse by refusing to cover medical costs for injuries that are related to suicide—even though experts say that in many cases such exclusions aren't permitted under federal law.
Yet patients or their loved ones often don't realize that.
Restoring Strength in Aging Muscles
A stem cell based method may restore strength to damaged skeletal muscles of the elderly, according to a study done at the University of Toronto and published in a February 2014 issue of the journal Nature Medicine describes. A release from the university notes that skeletal muscles are some of the most important muscles in the body, supporting functions such as sitting, standing, blinking and swallowing. In aging individuals, the function of these muscles significantly decreases.